


Back In Five Minutes: A One Act J2 Play

by compo67



Category: CW Network RPF, Supernatural RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Awkward Flirting, Eventual Happy Ending, Flirting, Fluff, M/M, Misunderstandings, RPS - Freeform, Texting, Young Jared Padalecki, Young Jensen Ackles, one act play, unknown phone numbers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-20
Updated: 2014-03-20
Packaged: 2018-01-16 09:38:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1342705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/compo67/pseuds/compo67
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's election day and Jared and Jensen are judges at a slow precinct. From irate voters to mystery texts, they pass the time together unaware that something else is starting.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Back In Five Minutes: A One Act J2 Play

**BACK IN FIVE MINUTES**

A One Act J2 Play

by Compo67

 

Cast of Characters:

JENSEN ACKLES..........as himself

JARED PADALECKI........as himself

Irate Voter (offstage)

 

**ACT ONE**

 

SCENE: Primaries, Election Day. Elementary school gym. Two gray tables with various papers, pens, and ballots strewn about on the first table; organized and orderly on the second table. It is clear that both election judges have seen more productive hours. A sign hanging off their table reads “A-M.” It is ten in the morning. Jared, a high school junior, is dressed in jeans and a shirt; Jensen, a senior, is conservatively dressed in a light blue button down and khakis. Neither have met before today and their day started at five in the morning.

TIME: Present.

 

Jared [sitting at the first table]: We’ve been here since five and I’m ready to crash.

Jensen [sitting at the second table]: All you’ve done is sit here.

Jared: Some of us aren’t used to doing nothing all day.

Jensen: [sighing, rolling eyes] Well, you’re getting _paid_ to do nothing today. Why don’t you… [motions towards the disarray on Jared’s table] oh, I don’t know, tidy up?

Jared: [leaning forward, placing his chin on the table] I don’t know what’s better: you saying the word ‘tidy’ or the fact that despite my mess, I can still find what I’m looking for and you couldn’t even find the affidavits.

Jensen: They were in another box under the table! [exasperated] It’s gotta be difficult being perfect all the time.

Jared: [with a grin] It’s not difficult at all. Nope. [sits back and teeters on his plastic chair] Nope, nope, nope… [whistles] …they’re bright pink forms. Hard to miss.

_Jensen throws his hands up in the air and stands up, knocking his chair back but not hard enough to knock it over. He stomps around Jared and walks off scene, grumbling about getting a snack from the vending machine in the teacher’s lounge. Once he leaves the stage, Jared takes out his phone and props his elbows up on his table. He begins to text with a look of concentration and interest._

Jared: [humming, speaking to himself] Mr. Rules doesn’t like phones out while people are voting. Sheesh. How’s a guy supposed to get a date with the administrative judge if you can’t text? [goes back to texting, when a response pings back, he laughs] I got their number but not their name. [shrugs, still texting, somewhat mumbling] Been two weeks but what’s in a name? Would a rose still smell as sweet?

_Returning from the vending machine, Jensen is armed with two apples and two juice boxes. He carefully places his items on a section of his table that does not have paperwork. Once the apples are turned the correct way, he sits down and looks over at Jared, who has not put his phone away._

Jensen: [clears his throat]

Jared: [ignores this]

Jensen: [clears his throat louder]

Jared: [keeps texting]

Jensen: [leans sideways, closer to Jared, clears his throat even louder]

Jared: [smiles and keeps texting, hits send with his pointer finger, making a show of it]

Jensen: [annoyed] Excuse me!

_Jensen’s phone, kept in his back pocket, pings. Jared grins._

Jared: [smirking] Yes. Excuse _you_.

_Bright red, Jensen clambers back into his seat, sitting upright, his shoulders back, looking extremely nervous. There are no voters around. He begins to fidget._

Jensen: [with hesitance, softly] Well… I… I suppose…

Jared: [amused] Go ahead. No one’s here. Dryer than an old man’s hand.

Jensen: [scrunches his nose] That’s… ugh, that’s not even the first time I’ve heard that saying.

Jared: Multiple people are capable of having a sense of humor, you know. [motions around the gym] Dude, it’s dead in here. We might as well text on the government’s dime. Everyone over there is doing it. [both look in the direction of the N-Z table in the distance, not shown on stage]

Jensen: [nervously] Just because they are doing it, doesn’t make it right.

Jared: [sighs and resumes texting] Whatever, do it or don’t. Won’t make a difference to the thousands of voters fighting their way to get in here.

_Jensen picks up an apple and bites into it, glancing at Jared the entire time. When Jared glances over, Jensen quickly looks away. He begins nervously organizing the already organized papers on his table. He looks up, spotting a voter in the distance._

Jensen: Oh… maybe…

Jared: [looks up] Nope.

Jensen: Well… [sighs and slumps in his chair] How many do we have so far?

Jared: [sets down phone but doesn’t take his eyes off the screen for ten seconds] Uh… [switches over and begins pushing around papers] Let’s see… [different colored papers are overturned]

Jensen: You lost it, didn’t you? What did I say? If you had just tidied up, like I said.

Jared: [finds the paper, holds it up and shakes it] Woo! Knew I had it here. If you don’t say the word tidy in some form every ten minutes do you melt, Wicked Witch of Table A-M? [shoves the paper into Jensen’s hands] We have fifteen. One. Five.

Jensen: [stammering] I-I-you! You’re the one who can barely identify their own ass from a damn hole in the ground!

Jared: [condescendingly] Oh, good job. You said ‘damn’ and ‘ass.’ That’s pretty passionate right there. You’ll wanna simmer down a bit. Just a little. Don’t want your blood pressure getting too high.

_Jared resumes texting and Jensen’s phone pings again. Distressed, he looks back and forth between Jared on his phone and the empty gym in front and around them. With a heavy sigh, Jensen reaches for his phone, hesitating to take it out of his pocket. Another ping prompts him to take it out, though he keeps it covered with his hands. He continues to sit up straight. Jared is hunched over on his table. Both remain silent but each has a smile on their face._

Jared: [happy sigh]

Jensen: [stares off into the distance, a vacant but dreamy look on his face]

_Jared sets down his phone; Jensen does as well. Ten seconds later, Jared picks his back up. When he is finished sending a text, he sets his phone down again. Not ten seconds after setting it down, Jensen’s phone pings and he picks it up, smiling wider._

[From off the stage] Voter: This election is rigged! Dammit, I want a non-partisan vote!

Jared: [sitting up, looking towards the voter, calling out] But no one’s running non-partisan.

Voter: It’s rigged! And all of you don’t care what this country is coming to!

_At the sound of a gym door opening and slamming shut, Jared and Jensen both flinch. They look at each other with wide eyes._

Jared: What a weirdo.

Jensen: It takes all types, I suppose.

Jared: [snorts] Yeah, especially the crazy types.

Jensen: [in a softer tone] Well, he’s not the worst I’ve seen. Last year a gentleman brought a gun so he would feel safer casting his ballot.

Jared: [laughing] No! Was he worried liberal Commie bastards were going to jump out and steal his ballot? Pee on the American flag? Vote Democrat?

Jensen: [laughing quietly] Something like that. We had to call the police.

_Both look at each other for a moment before each turning away. Jensen awkwardly rearranges a pile of papers while Jared announces an urgent need to see if all the pens work. They meet each other’s eyes once more and both go red, flustered. Jensen bites down on his bottom lip while Jared runs a hand through his hair. No longer looking at each other, their posture in their seats changes. Jensen is more relaxed and Jared is sitting up a little straighter. For one minute, their movements align and matchup: when Jensen goes to touch his nose, Jared does as well; when Jared stretches, Jensen does as well. Both are unaware of this until the last moment. Jared clears his throat and blushes._

Jared: [voice cracking] So uh… [clears throat again] You did this last year?

Jensen: [nods]

Jared: You liked it that much?

Jensen: [nods again] Well… uhm… I… it’s an excellent way to make some extra money for a day of sitting down and doing nothing. Well, except for babysitting you.

Jared: [smiles] You’re lovin’ every minute of babysitting me.

_An awkward pause—twenty seconds._

Jared: Uhm, anyway. Bet your table buddy last year wasn’t as great as me.

Jensen: [clears throat] No, not really.

Jared: [cockily leans back in his chair, arms behind him] I’m a million times cuter, too.

Jensen: [scrunches nose] My table partner last year was Gertie, an eighty-year old lady from the retirement home down the street.

Jared: [keeps leaning back, laughs] Oh, then I’m definitely a million times cuter.

Jensen: [looking away] Uhm… I… [fidgets]

_Jared tips over in his chair, falling backwards, landing with a loud crash. Jensen gasps but before he can offer assistance, Jared is scrambling to his feet, completely red in the face. His hair is messy and in his face until he runs his hand through it and straightens out his clothes. Clearing his throat, Jared waves to the other table._

Jared: [too loud] Just testin’ the floor! Solid concrete, you’ll be happy to know! [sinks into his chair, slumping forward] Fuck. [rubs the back of his head] [ _aside_ ] That was fuckin’ smooth. Way to go, Jared.

Jensen: [concerned but trying not to laugh] If you hit your head hard enough, I wonder if you’ll suddenly become more organized?

Jared: [growling, still rubbing his head] Fuck off.

Jensen: [quietly] Sorry.

Jared: [sighs] No… ugh. Just… can’t you pretend that never happened?

Jensen: [biting his bottom lip, trying not to smile] You went down like a bag of bricks.

Jared: [groans and lays his head down on the table, facing away from Jensen, covering his face] You pick now to have a sense of humor, while I’m clearly in pain and need medical attention.

Jensen: [smiling widely, leaning forward] Poor baby bumped his pumpkin.

Jared: [shoulders bristling] I don’t even have to _look_ at you and I can still feel your self-righteousness.

Jensen: [sitting back in his chair, not as straight as before] _I_ am not the one who just went ass over kettle, thank you. Oh! [sits up straight, shoulders back] A voter!

_Slowly, Jared looks up, peeking from his hair. They both look off stage to the right._

Jared: [grumbling] Other table.

Jensen: [sighs, frowning] Why don’t people want to vote? We had such a good turn out last year. [picks up an apple, speaks shyly] Uhm… you want an apple? I got two.

Jared: [sits up carefully and runs a hand through the mess of his hair, looks at Jensen and then the apple] Only you would buy apples from a vending machine.

Jensen: Fruit is…

Jared: [takes the apple from Jensen and bites into it loudly] If you’re about to say nature’s candy, save yourself now. [munching, speaking lowly] Thanks.

Jensen: [smiles to himself, takes a small bite] Yeah.

_In silence, they eat the apples and Jensen passes over a juice box. Once again, their movements mimic each other’s. Every reach for a juice box is matched; they even hold their apples the same way. Jared’s fast pace at eating slows and Jensen’s slow pace speeds up, putting them in sync with each other. Jensen collects the cores and places them in a brown plastic bag. They sit in silence for ten seconds until Jared picks up his phone from the table and texts. A short text is sent; seconds after, Jensen’s phone pings._

Jared: [curious] So… who have you been texting? I mean, if you wanna share and all…

Jensen: [replying to the text, looking at the screen, speaking flustered to Jared] Oh. Well. Uh. I… I don’t really know. They sent out a list of electoral judges for two precincts and… [trails off]

Jared: You’re texting a judge? Do you even know who?

Jensen: [blushing, looks up and at Jared] No, not really. The list got scrambled. But, they’re really interesting. And funny. And sweet. [laughs nervously] You must think I’m nuts.

Jared: [shakes head no] Nah, that’s kinda cool. The mystery of it all, you know? So it could be anyone in these precincts, huh? [looks towards the other table, whispers to Jensen] Dude, what if it’s Jim? He’s like, sixty years old and smells like cat food.

Jensen: [stammering] I-I… it’s not Jim!

Jared: [smirking] You don’t know that.

Jensen: [fidgeting] It’s not!

Jared: [leans back in his chair again] Didn’t your parents give you the lecture about talking to strangers online? In this case, texting, but c’mon. Jim could totally pretend to be someone our age. Yep, all he’d have to do is mention how much he likes organizing his desk and he’d have you totally hooked.

_Reaching over, Jensen punches Jared’s shoulder._

Jared: [shocked] That… that actually hurt!

Jensen: [huffing] Serves you right.

Jared: [nursing his shoulder] Jerk.

Jensen: [sniffs] Brute.

Jared: Asshole.

Jensen: Commoner.

Jared: [laughing] Did you just call me a commoner?

Jensen: [trying not to smile, failing at keeping a serious face] Yes. You’re a peasant and the land you own is minimal and of poor quality.

Jared: [smiling wide] Are you the king then? And I’m just your lowly serf?

Jensen: [glancing over at Jared] Only peasants fall out of their chairs.

Jared: [looking directly at Jensen] Would it help my case if I said I did it to impress you, oh mighty king of table A-M? Did you marvel at my superior peasant-skills in the ancient art of falling over and getting back up?

_For a moment, as they both look at each other, their bodies move inwards. When they realize this, they turn back to sit facing forward, looking anywhere but at the other. Jared’s phone pings. He fumbles to pick it up and smiles as he reads the text. Jensen frowns but puts on a smile when Jared looks up._

Jensen: [strained, cheerful] And who is that?

Jared: [shrugging, feigning disinterest] Oh, you know. Just someone.

Jensen: [murmurs] Oh.

Jared: [clears his throat] Uh… I’ve been talking to whoever the administrative judge is for this precinct. Their email cut off before their name on the email but I got their number and… and… yeah. You know. They’re pretty cool. [rubs neck, stretching] I thought I might get to meet them today but guess they didn’t show up. We don’t talk about personal stuff, just you know… I’m just fooling around.

_It is here, as Jared quantifies the texts as ‘fooling around’ that the realization dawns on Jensen. He avoids looking at Jared, keeping his gaze on his phone in his hands. The expression on his face changes from easy-going to somber to bitter. Quickly, he stands up, nearly knocking over his chair. He leaves his phone on the table in his hurry and walks off stage without a word._

Jared: [calling after him] Hey! What’s wrong? Dude, what’s going on? [stands up, sees that Jensen is already gone] Fuck. Should I follow? Shit. [sighs and picks up phone, saying his text out loud as he types it] Hold on, gotta run after my table mate. Be right back. [sets phone down]

_Pushing his chair in, Jared takes a step away from the table. Jensen’s phone pings and lights up with the new text message. Jared hesitates, paused, and glances over his shoulder at Jensen’s table. His body language is tentative, not at all confident. He gradually moves closer to the table and taps Jensen’s phone. He reads aloud the new text on Jensen’s screen._

Jared: ‘Hold on, gotta run after my table mate…’ [pauses, looks up towards where Jensen ran off stage] [murmuring] ‘Be right back.’

_Holding Jensen’s phone, Jared looks at it once more before pushing Jensen’s chair in and propping up a sign that says, “Back in Five Minutes.” One more glance at Jensen’s phone and Jared smiles, shaking his head. His body language is relaxed but excited. The smile he has on is genuine and hopeful._

_Jared runs off stage in the same direction._

[Curtain]

**Author's Note:**

> woah! a play! :D this was super fun to write!
> 
> this is for whattocallmyblog, the lovely individual who was my beta for They Met. thank you so much for your hard work and fixing my mistakes through 60,000 words and over 100 pages! <333 she asked for mixed up phone numbers and this is what happened. :D
> 
> guess what I was doing this week? that's right. i was an election judge! XD it's very boring and totally not as exciting as this makes it seem. it would have been had i had someone like j2 next to me. boo. 
> 
> please tell me how you like this! this is my first time writing a play. i wanted to do something different and challenge myself. the formatting isn't professionally done or 100% accurate but it reads kind of like fic and kind of like a play. i think it's a good hybrid? 
> 
> enjoy! <3
> 
> (i love picturing the after moment, btw. it would be too sweet.)


End file.
